Mission Statements: More than Words

I absolutely agree that schools should be more reflective of and relevant to real life. In my observations, it seems that students are easier to engage when the content or context of a lesson connects to real life for them in some way. I’ve often pondered the enormous gaps between knowledge and application required for some of the jobs I’ve had, which ranged from catering to retail management before teaching, and the experiences we offer to kids in the K-12 system. In the real world, my jobs required collaborating, spontaneity, and synthesis to meet goals set by the companies I worked for. Sometimes, creative problem solving and experimentation came into play. These are things that don’t happen enough in a typical student’s environment. One article which changed how I think about learning was http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/24/teacher-spends-two-days-as-a-student-and-is-shocked-at-what-she-learned/. If our mission is to enable individual students to reach their full potential, the old ways aren’t going to do it.  After reading the article, I’ve been working harder to include more kinesthetic and collaborative activities into my instruction. I don’t want to be a top-down teacher. I want to be a facilitator. Currently my students are collaborating online to develop discussions based on the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy in relation the novel we are studying, and they are also creating interactive game-based vocabulary quizzes that we play together as a class. Sometimes, they write their group results on the dry erase boards all over the classroom if we don’t have tech access. They love moving around and working with different colors, and seeing each other’s ideas.

Reading about Clark Hall was like reading a dream or fairy tale. Stakeholders worked together to make meaningful community connections and overcome obstacles, so that a learning space designed to meet the needs of modern students could be built without burdening taxpayers. They decided to actually do what was needed to achieve the mission of the school. Everything about Clark Hall intrigues me. I love the idea of excellent wi-fi and flexible spaces with comfortable furniture to promote engagement. It’s hard to learn when the chair you are in hurts your backside, and physical comfort is overlooked in most public schools. I showed one of my classes some new types of furniture, such as the Node classroom, and they were in awe. Currently many of our classrooms are equipped with desks that are probably 20-30 years old, and are too small for most of our students. They also are not designed for laptop use, as they tip very easily. Although we do have class sets of laptops on the way, we are currently sharing a 24 unit mobile cart among 6 teachers who serve 100 students. There is also a stationary lab in the next wing over, but it is often being used by the upper grades. If our classroom laptops aren't ready to go before the end of the year, we will be blocked out of using tech for nearly a month due to testing.

As for my Grant Proposal, I’d like to tie it into my desire to incorporate Interactive Learning using a wireless short throw LCD projection system such as the Epson 595Wi. Currently we have 3 teachers trying to share one old Viewsonic projector, as ours have died, and we’d love to have a means for students to interact with information and visuals. Students would be able to work collaboratively and even use the technology to present artifacts of learning that they themselves created for others to interact with. It has been suggested by several people that I go with Donors Choose. The few teachers I know who have went with them did have their needs met in a timely fashion, and they recommended it without hesitation. I’m also considering grants from local corporate sources, such as Halliburton or WalMart. An upcoming meeting on implementation of our new laptops will give me the opportunity to speak with district and school level stakeholders, and tomorrow is Parent night, so I can talk to families then. And of course, I am always asking the students how we can serve them better. It’s a hectic time of year with testing around the bend, but it’s important to lay the groundwork so we can keep moving forward.

svonog - http://flickr.com/photos/svonog/432774995/

Module 5: Developing Resources and Grants (Tiffany)

Grant Resources

     We have a few approaches to scholarship at the Folklife Center, one of which are our archives, much of which is in the form of documents, rather than objects. We have different collections that represent different facets of folklore. We consider ourselves stewards of the collections, rather than owners. As such, anyone wishing to access any collection has the freedom to do so. However, the current state of our holdings makes this difficult. They are organized and stored appropriately, yet anyone without intimate knowledge of what is there, would be at a loss on what we have and how to go about getting it. 

     What I would like to see is a digitized and searchable database accessible to the public. We currently have a digital cataloging system, Past Perfect, that is really only meant to be part of our own recording system. An additional searchable database would provide access to anyone interested or in need of particular documents for research, without having to come to the center and hope that someone knowledgeable is there that day. I also think it's part of the first step in further integrating technology. One day I'd like to extend our published curriculum guide from textbook to online and interactive for K-12 students and teachers.

     Some institutions have their own databases, which is an option. There are also larger databases which organizations can become a part of as well. The National Endowment for the Humanities has several grant options that would be applicable for this undertaking. Mainly funding would be needed to fund training and for individuals physically doing the work in digitizing the holdings, although depending on technological requirements, some funding may be necessary for upgrades. 

Here are three grants that I found rather quickly, using the NEH Grant matching tool: 

Humanities Collections and Reference Resources 

Preservation and Access Education and Training 

Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections 

Chapter 9 Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning

     Should schools reflect real life? Absolutely. The school environment isn't, nor should it be, an isolated environment. A student's life shouldn't be compartmentalized into separate spheres, but ought to resemble a Venn diagram.With 21st century technology, this connectivity is even more apparent. I always herald back to the adage that learning, real learning that is, must be not only interesting but relevant. How can that be possible without it reflecting the rest of the world? Especially in creating lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.
     The use of the phrase, real life, is intriguing as it denotes that the school environment isn't real. Students are apart of the so called real world, so why not give them the opportunities to take part in it within the perimeters of the classroom.

     I found these quotes particularly salient (italics are use to emphasis what I found most notable):

". . .it is about providing learners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in college, careers, and jobs that have not even been created yet" (p. 134). "This is accomplished by allowing students to use real-world tools to apply what they have learned and construct new knowledge" (p. 135).

     Life isn't stagnant, neither should our educational experiences. The future is largely unknown and ever changing. It makes sense for students to have a strong basis to be able adapt with whatever happens.  

Twitter

     As an aside but relevant, I wanted to provide a anecdote in reference to Twitter in this chapter and student usage. Without getting into too much detail while providing some background information, FSU (specifically in junction with the Folklife Center) is part of the Consortium of Appalachian Centers and participates yearly in the Appalachian Teaching Project which is a yearly product-based learning initiative which focuses on sustainability in the Appalachian region. I've participated twice, once as a student and this past year, as a mentor to this year's students. The project cumulates in a presentation in Washington, DC that is presented to other universities, as well as some Appalachian Regional Commission representatives, and members of the Appalachian Studies Association. 

     This year, it was decided that someone would live tweet the two day event and encouraged everyone to follow along. Which is what happened, with what appeared to be good results. However, it wasn't without backlash. At the subsequent meeting that occurred a couple weekends ago, many voiced disapproval that students were on their phones during the presentations, doing what they had been invited to do. It brings about a dialogue about creating more student involvement, while maintaining respect for the students presenting.  

     I've thought about it, contemplated if it was a generational divide. Generationally, I lay in between the two; I'm older than most of the students yet younger than most of the professors. I was taught to give whoever had the stage my undivided attention, yet I understand the urge to get people involved and interested.

Chapter 10 Rethinking Learning Environments and Spaces

     Clark Hall was an idea conceived from a common dilemma, over crowding of one high school. The simple solution would have been to build a second high school, an option that the community was against. By thinking outside the box, the concept of a building a learning environment to supplement the high school was created. What I loved is that it appears that once they started thinking beyond the norm, they kept reaching further and further beyond the typical four beige walls and rows of desks. I was surprised to read that they leased not only part of the building, but partials of land to businesses; as well as creating mutually beneficial community partnerships such as the one with the YMCA. Yet it appears to work, and work well. It also somewhat begins chopping away at that isolated mentality that the school experience as one that isn't "real world."

     I think that turning to the corporate world can be beneficial to schools. Not only through partnerships, but using them as examples. Corporations have spent billions researching and implementing what works and what doesn't in terms of training and productivity. It makes sense to tap into the corporate world as a resource besides partnerships and funding.

Teachers as Leaders Article

I wanted to share an article from NPR about one teacher's experience that goes well with what we've been discussing in regards to teachers and leaders. 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/27/395113707/stretching-one-great-teacher-across-many-classrooms

Module 5

MODULE 5

Technology Grant Ideas

         I’ve looked into a couple of grant ideas for technology.  “Computers for Learning” was one that I got started with, but my principal informed me my school doesn’t qualify for government donations of technology equipment.  (Not sure why, but I took her work for it.) Another one I looked at required some tax and financial information that I was not allowed access to. Therefore, my idea for a grant will be to use the website Donorschoose.com.  I’ve created an account, and will be asking for a Macbook laptop, Apple TV, and the necessary cables to update our very ancient presentation station in our distance-learning lab.  The desktop now in the lab is in the far corner of the stage area, and is set up on a moveable table that can’t be moved because of the computer cables.  It’s also at least 10 years old.  Much of our teacher training/professional development takes place in this lab, and often we can’t see the presenters because they are in the corner of the stage, or the technology isn’t adequate for what they would like to teach us.  The reason I’m asking for this equipment is to complement my technology initiative, which will be to provide professional development to the teachers of my school, showing them how to update and use their websites as a tool for student, parent, and community communication and instructional support.

School Should Reflect Real Life

         One of the statements in this chapter that stood out to me was “…many schools still treat education as an effort to prepare students for a world that no longer exists.”  It sums up a lot of how I feel about what’s happening in schools today with regard to technology use, or the lack thereof.  I think that if we would embrace the use of technology in the classroom, not only would we more accurately reflect the world the students live in, but we would also provide an environment where students can learn appropriate use of technology tools.

         The thing schools fear, when if comes to use of technology, is the vast freedom it offers students and what the immature mind will do with that freedom.  Some students will choose wrongly and cause pain and problems for themselves and others, but that’s not a reason to forbid the use of technology. Students walk out of the school building with assignments and projects that they then try to complete using their own technology tools, but with no guidance. They have to navigate the use of technology on their own. Quite a few parents don’t know what they’re students are doing, or don’t care.

         What schools can do is provide a place where students understand the boundaries and limits, and, when they cross them, deal with them in a way that guides, teaches, and changes their behavior. If we allowed them to use the technology on a regular basis, such as in a BYOD classroom, they would be in a place where they were being guided, directed, and protected in their freedom of use. They would learn the appropriate ways to use their phones and tablets to find resources and complete assignments or projects. “…we must move away from an industrial model of instruction and let go of control in order to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners.”

Clark Hall

           The story of Clark Hall was particularly interesting to me because I’m from Ohio, grew up in and taught in central Ohio, and I’m very familiar with the Gahanna Jefferson Schools, so the story seemed even that more compelling to me.  Clark Hall was developed by the school district because they needed more room.  The high school was too overcrowded, but they didn’t have the resources to build a whole new school, so they decided to add to the current campus.  The building they added was similar to an office building, and was even partially leased out to local businesses as a means of revenue.  They partnered with community organizations for some of their resources, and created an environment that is very much like a modern university or business.  The students and teachers use of technology is regular and pervasive, and teachers are encouraged not just to use technology in the classroom, but also to have the students study, learn, and create using the technology.  Reading about the school made me wish I could work in an environment like that!  It resembles the learning environment my daughter is now in at college, with the open spaces, study areas, wireless access across campus, and technology devices for everyone. 

           My current workplace only resembles Clark Hall, in a small way, in our school library.  It’s bright and open, with soft chairs, couches, rugs, and beanbags for students to sit on.  There are thirty computers set up around the room and in a small lab area in the back.  It is not really a dedicated library space, however.  There are two classes taught in there daily, as well as other teachers who bring their classes down to work on projects. But, only one class fits comfortably in the library at a time.  With about 140 sections of core classes taught in our building each day, the access to the library is very limited.  The rest of the building feels like a hospital to me.  They took all of the carpet out two years ago, and installed white tile in the whole building.  Most of the classroom walls are white, with a few being light blue.  Three years ago, one of the special education teachers painted her classroom bright orange and lime green and got into a great deal of trouble.  I could only hope for an environment like Clark Hall.  There would have to be a serious change of heart from higher up for us to have an overhaul like that.

Jared's Module 5 Post

Grant Proposal Idea:

My grant proposal and my TI initiative are integrated.  As I expressed in my last blog entry, a couple of teachers and I have gotten together to try to open our school to some positive attitudes on Blended Learning.  This will be done through an initial class, followed by the establishment of an online PLC for teachers who want to participate.  Throughout the semester (Fall 2015) we will share ideas, and examples, and visit each others’ digital classrooms.  We will also meet at least twice to work together as a group, and share ideas in person.  I am sort of doing this a little out of order.  We have already come up with a basic structure for our initiative, and we have already applied for the grant (since it was due March 27).  Now we are continuing our research on Blended Learning to make sure that our professional development concept is up to date and informed.

The grant was for a little less than $5000, and was requested from Fairmont State with which we have a PDS relationship.  The money will mostly be used for teacher stipend, which I would argue is important, because to really kick-off something like this in a school you will get very little volunteer participation.  Many well-meaning, and respectable teachers still see technology as a “frill” and “Blended Learning” as just one more crazy idea thrust upon educators who just want to be left alone to teach.  There is still a mistrust of computer use in the classroom, and moving standardized testing to the computer labs hasn’t helped at all.  Offering an experience like this can help create some more positive attitudes toward a type of learning that is necessary in this century.

Chapter 9: Do you agree that schools should reflect real life?

“Sorry, the 21^st Century is blocked.”  I find myself saying that each week as the teachers in my school report to one another the new blocking of a website or app.  Some sites become blocked and unblocked on a weekly basis.  The status of Youtube each day is anybody’s guess.  Chances are the web-based lesson you created with ease on your own network at home will encounter several roadblocks when you bring it to school.  This only serves to illustrate the mistrust that school boards have for all things internet.  There is still a sign on my school’s library wall that says, “NO Facebook MySpace E-Mail or Games.”  The WVDE policy number that bans these things is referenced at the bottom.  The reason Twitter is absent from the list is because the policy was created years before Twitter was widely known, and it hasn’t changed since.

I would say that my county, as a whole, is still in the beginning stages of technology acceptance the author described for the Burlington School District: “They used to deny the changes that were happening outside their school doors because they could not deal with what might happen if they were to allow students to have the internet at their fingertips while sitting in classrooms” (Sheninger, 2014, p. 148).  We are still there.  The attitude is that communication technology is a danger and distraction, and that only by banning it can real learning begin.  There is still a “lack of trust shown by administrators who would not allow staff to utilizer mobile devices, even when they had concrete educational tasks tied to their lessons” (Sheninger, 2014, p. 149).

However, I do think that the page is about to turn.  I have noticed that attitudes toward social media are slowly shifting.  When I started teaching in 2008, teachers were warned again using social media even for personal use.  “You’ll get in trouble… Teachers have been fired for what they’ve said online!”  The policy was, just stay off of social media, and their was a stigma for teachers who had a Facebook profile.  I remember being ridiculed (just a little) because a Spanish teacher and I alluded to being “Facebook Friends.”  Now the stigma is no longer their.  In fact, most clubs have some kind of official social media page.  It’s a slow journey, but I have noticed that administration has been %100 supportive of Blended Learning and Flipped Learning efforts in our school.  That part of social media they like.  Now if we could only gain access to Youtube.

So, yes, school should reflect real life, and these days real life is integrated with digital technology.  Smart phone, computers, and tablets are as a part of our lives as cars and radios.

Chapter 10: Summarize the story of Clark Hall and reflect on your workplace or learning environment.  What are you thinking now after reading about Clark Hall?

 Due to overpopulation of students, combined with a lack of money and desire from the public to build a completely new high school, Gahanna District leaders worked with the public to build Clark Hall, a multi-purpose building that focuses on use of a wireless work to conduct education.  It has everything from open spaces, to classrooms, to a workout room.  It has colorful walls and furniture, and looks like an inviting, fun, modern facility.  To hear it described, I think of the type of building they might add to a college campus when enrollment is high.  The facility was not a success overnight, because the administrators of Clark Hall overestimated the power of their wireless network when BYOD use was allowed. 

After reading about Clark Hall, I can say that I’d like to work there.  I wish my school district had a facility like this.  I think it’s a great “happy medium” between the “brick and mortar school” and the completely “online high school.”  I think this is the type of solution I most support.  A place to meet, a place to be, but a place that is different from traditional schools.  I think this can work for many students, especially for those who need more than a day at home alone on the internet.  We can still reach students who need IEPs, and we can still demonstrate the use of technology in leading by example. 

A Note on BYOD:

I support the use of personal devices in schools, both for classroom and personal use. However, I do not agree with author when he says that we should just do it. I still believe that public education should be totally free.  Remember FAPE?  Sheninger acknowledges that some respected educators do not support BYOD because of reasons of equity (p. 152).  Will the kids with Smartphones have more access to school programs?  Sheninger does not, however, explain how to get around this problem.  He moves on without hinting at a solution.  Colleges can require students to buy virtually anything.  Public schools cannot. 

I think the solution is a Clark Hall type of environment where technology is provided, but where BYOD is permitted.

Module 5

Grant Proposal:
I am still trying to determine what grants I want to apply for, but I do know what I am trying to accomplish with it.  The elementary school that I work at is relatively large.  We have three computer labs throughout the school, which may sound like a lot for an elementary school, but when you have five classes for each grade, three labs are simply not enough. Students need to have as much access as possible with technology in order for them to become successful with it.  We began using a new program this year called MobyMax.  Students seem to like the program and as a teacher I can do a lot of different things with it.  However, students only get into the computer labs twice a week.  If we had computers, IPADS, or tablets in our rooms then students could access the technology even more.  We would not have to wait until our scheduled day in the computer lab to do interactive lessons.  There are several grants that I have researched, but I am looking mainly at the grants provided by Walmart.  I am familiar with applying for funding from Walmart because I have done this before through fundraisers.
Chapter 9:
I completely agree with the fact that schools need to reflect real life.  We are trying to help our students to become successful adults.  Our goal is to ensure that they will become prominent members of society and be able to keep up with the changes life throws at them.  How can we do this successfully if we do not teach them how to function in real life situations?  Students need to know how to take what they learn in school and use it in their adult lives.  As educators we can not forget that it is not our goal to simply teach students the basic facts, we need to teach them how to use those facts outside of school.
Chapter 10:
What can I say about this school?  WOW! The more I read about the high school the more I thought about it as a college.  Students have freedom to move and socialize.  They can interact with businesses and explore different real world learning situations.  The school has set goals to ensure that students are using real world situations to learn and they are given the materials to be successful at it.  The school focuses on making their learning spaces and environments conducive to digital learning, and provide students opportunities to express their natural creativity.

Module Five

Grant Proposal and Technology Integration Idea:

I am working closely with the Math, Science, and Physical Education departments on planning geocaching teams.  Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.  The students on the teams will navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (a type of container) hidden at that specific location.  This will incorporate almost every subject that we teach here at Sherrard Middle School.  We are very excited to see if and how this will play out.  This activity is not only using real-world situations, but it would incorporate skills including map reading, problem solving, creative thinking, and countless opportunities to teach mathematics - which means the most to me considering I am a math teacher.

Chapter Nine:

I absolutely agree that schools need to reflect real-life situations.  For instance, just this week I was reviewing (aka re-teaching) area and circumference of circles.  I noticed that if my students had simple circles in front of them, they were decent at coming up with the answers.  For example, if they are given "If the diameter of a circle is 5 feet, what is the circumference?" - They could easily put the diameter into a formula (diameter times pi = circumference) and come up with the answer.  However, when I gave them problems like "Judy has a circular garden.  She wants to place fencing around the outside of the garden.  She has a fountain in the center of the garden.  The distance from the fountain to the edge of the garden is six feet.  How much fencing will she need for the garden?" They freak out because they did not see "The diameter is... or The radius is... Nor did they have a perfect question like "What is the circumference?"  They had to put words into math and come up with a solution on their own.  These kids need to be taught the standards, yes, however, they need to be taught in a way that they will actually use it in real life.  They need to stop with the basic worksheets and drills.  This is simply a teaching technique as opposed to an assessment technique.  That is why we are all so excited about out geocaching grant.  We know that we are using so much real life in so many different subject matters.

Chapter Ten:

The story of Clark Hall is basically a new way for schools to function and be structured in the new Digital Age.  This story reflects on the way that the school can be a comfortable space for learning.  This space should also provide choices for each student.  Learning should be more fun and enjoyable for the students.  Also, it should make time more flexible for each student.  Due to the digital age, this school should utilize technology more and use the teachers more as facilitators in a process of learning.  Also, more projects should be used to assess as opposed to worksheets and assignments.

When I reflect on my school and my classroom in particular, I feel that we are slowly moving in this direction.  The comfort level of the school is still the old fashion desks and tables; however, the emotional comfort level I try to make as peaceful as possible.  I give as many choices as I can.  I know that there are many ways to get to the correct answer of a math problem.  Also, so many students learn in different ways.  Therefore, I teach every possible way that I can think of in hopes that at least one of those ways will stick.  I catch myself saying - I do not care HOW you get the answer, as long as it is correct! When it comes to technology, I utilize it to my fullest extent; however, that is not a lot! With all of the standards as a seventh grade math teacher that I need to reach - it is difficult to incorporate as much technology as I would like.  However, when it comes to being a facilitator - I do try my very hardest to make sure that my students are coming up with answers on their own.  My favorite technique would have to be using inquiry.  "Ms. Crow, how do I get this answer?" - "Well, what information do you know? How can I begin to solve this? What is the question asking?" They know when they come to me with a question that they are most likely not going to receive an answer - just a probing question.